Niki Gets Pregnant
by Tjix
Summary: Can't believe I'm writing MORE Twilight stuff. But "Niki and Gracie Go to the Zoo" was a hit, so hey, what the heck. Niki and Jacob have their first child. Companion to "Silence in the Night."
1. Chapter 1

(((Dedication: to Dark*Irish*Princess—GOD, WOMAN, HOW MANY KIDS DO YOU NEED?!

Summary:

Niki and Jacob have their first child. Hopefully no one dies in the process.

Disclaimer: We don't own the Twilight fandom.

Fandoms: Twilight

Pairings: Jacob/Niki, Edward/Gracie

Warnings: sexual innuendo

Notes: More self-indulgence. :( But "Niki and Gracie Go to the Zoo" was a hit, so I figured another companion to "Silence in the Night" wouldn't be TOTALLY out of place. By this point, Jake and Niki have their own house in La Push.)))

**Niki Gets Pregnant**

**By: Tjix and EverAfter-Silence**

**Chapter One**

"Jacob!"

Werewolf pack leader Jacob Black groaned and rolled over in bed, trying to shut out the sharp voice. _It's too early for this._

"JACOB!"

There simply was no blocking out that voice. "_What_, Niki?"

"Get your ass in here RIGHT NOW!"

Sighing in exasperation, Jacob sat up and rubbed his bleary eyes. He glanced over to where his tiny, barefoot wife stood in her underwear in the open door to the bathroom, glaring at him acidly.

"What's going on?" he murmured sleepily.

"I threw up."

"You _what_?" He was suddenly wide awake, swinging his legs out of bed and bounding to Niki's side. "Why? What happened?"

"I don't fuckin' know, dickhead. That's why I woke you up," she snarled, jerking away and crossing her arms over her chest. "I wasn't drunk last night, and I slept fine and all that shit. I just... ugh. Like, I don't even _know_."

He was confused by her bad temper. Niki wasn't a morning person, but she had never been downright aggressive to him before. Moving cautiously toward her again, he laid one hand on her shoulder. "I don't know either, babe. Maybe we should take you to a doctor."

She gave him a sardonic look. "Yeah. 'No, doc, nothing unusual here, just a four-foot-nine, one-hundred-two-degree, alcohol-swilling teenage werewolf with temper issues. Got a diagnosis yet?'"

Jacob rolled his eyes. "Maybe we should take you to see the _bloodsucker_ doctor."

"Carlisle?" Niki genuinely considered the suggestion. "Yeah. Maybe. Or, you know what? Better yet, let's just get Gracie over here. Maybe she'll know something."

Jacob sighed. "Niki, as highly as you think of Gracie, she doesn't know everything. Why would she know anything about this?"

"_God_, Jacob, you're such a prick. Would you just fuckin' call her?"

Withdrawing into his confusion, Jacob surrendered. "Yeah. Okay."

* * *

"You're pregnant."

Niki fell off the bed, stunned. "I'm WHAT?!" she screeched. "_What _did you say?!"

Gracie, perched on the opposite side of the bed, lifted her eyebrows in mild amusement. "Relax, Niki. See, when a mommy werewolf and a daddy werewolf love each other very much..."

Tousled head popping back up over the other side of the bed, Niki narrowed her eyes at the redhead. "Now is _not_ the time for your rarely-seen twisted sense of humor to emerge, Gracie," she hissed. "At least, not unless you're ready to tell me that you were kidding and I'm really just dying of some weird werewolf cancer."

"No joke. There's another little heartbeat underneath yours." Gracie rose and walked over to the other side of the bed to crouch by the other girl. "What's so bad about this? Didn't you tell me once that you wanted kids?"

Niki was leaning back against the bed, her knees drawn up to her chest and her arms wrapped around her knees, eyes wide. "I know, but..." she whispered. "But..."

Gracie sighed and folded her legs underneath her so that she was seated on the floor beside Niki. Putting her arm around the werewolf, Gracie asked, "What about this situation upsets you?"

"I don't know. Just the... everything. I mean, yeah, I wanted kids, but I wanted to be... you know... kind of grown up first. I wanted to be responsible and smart and all that good stuff. You know—a good old boring mom, not a freak-of-a-dam like I had. I wanted to be... well, someone like you." It took Niki a moment to realize what she'd said, and she frantically tried to backpedal. "I mean, it's not that you're boring. You're just responsible and all that, but not in a boring way. I mean, yeah, I guess being responsible is boring, but I just—oh, shit. Nevermind."

Gracie laughed and began stroking her friend's dark hair. "It's okay. Sometimes being responsible _is_ boring. But, hey, that's why I have you, right?"

Niki chuckled darkly. "If there's one thing I will never be, it's boring."

"I'm sure your husband will vouch for that." There was a wicked smile hovering on Gracie's face.

Drawing away, Niki put a hand over her heart and pretended to gasp. "Gracie! You pervert!"

"Oh, _I_ didn't say anything wrong," Gracie said lightly. "You just have a dirty mind."

Niki laughed a little, but then her smile faded. "Gracie," she whispered tremulously, suddenly gripped with a terrible fear. "What if... what if Jake isn't happy? What if he doesn't want the baby?"

"Bite your tongue, oh ye of little faith," Gracie said sharply. "This is Jacob we're talking about. Not your father."

Niki closed her eyes. "I know."

"Don't cry." Gracie's cold fingers were on her face, wiping away tears that she hadn't known were there. "Niki, I know you're emotional because of the pregnancy, but you know Jacob better than that."

"I _know,_ Gracie, I _know_, but everything just feels like _shit_ right now. Everything. Like my life is going to hell in a handbasket. I threw up this morning. I can still smell it, even though I brushed my teeth and flushed the toilet like _three times_. Jake asked me if I wanted something to eat, and I almost threw up again. The thought of eating _anything_ makes me sick. I've had to pee every five minutes for three hours. And Jake—Jake is so worried, he thinks I'm sick with the flu or some shit like that. What is he going to think when I tell him I'm pregnant?" Niki covered her face. "And my emotions are all out of whack—one second I'm like, 'fuck the world,' and the next I'm like, 'oh, boo-hoo, I think I'm gonna go in my little emo corner and cut myself.' I mean, what is _that_?! What the hell is _that_?!"

"Come on," Gracie said when Niki paused for breath. "I'll take you downstairs and we'll tell Jacob together, okay?"

* * *

"Jake?"

Jacob stopped pacing and turned. "Niki," he said in relief, going to his mate and taking her by the shoulders. "Are you okay? What have you come up with?" He had been exiled from the bedroom when Gracie arrived, and so was oblivious to anything that they had discussed.

Niki glanced at Gracie, who nodded encouragingly. She bit her lip. "Uh... well. Um. I'm not sick."

His relief was palpable. He swept her up in a bear-hug. "Niki, that's great!"

"Uh... yeah. Put me down, Jake. In fact, pull up a chair. You won't want to be standing when I break this to you."

Confused, he put her down. "Niki?" he said cautiously. "What's going on?" He looked between her and Gracie, whose face revealed nothing.

"Jake." Niki took a deep breath, then let it out slowly and spoke in a small voice. "Jake, I'm pregnant."

He stared at her for a long moment, then turned slowly to look at Gracie. Gracie nodded slightly, confirming Niki's words. Jake looked back at his wife, all the blood having drained from his face. Gracie wisely pulled up a kitchen chair and he collapsed into it, his knees clearly too weak to hold him.

"You're sure?" he rasped.

"I can sense the child's heartbeat," Gracie reminded him gently.

Jacob stared at Niki in wonder. "A baby," he said, stunned. "A _baby_."

Niki moved forward. "Jake..." she said in trepidation.

"Niki. _Niki_." In one fluid motion, he was on his feet, lifting her into his arms and holding her more tightly than he ever had. "A _baby_! Can you _believe_ this? You and me, we're gonna have a baby!"

"Well, it had _better_ be yours and mine, at any rate," Niki said sharply. "We've already got vampires and werewolves. We don't need illegitimate _DNA-cloned, beamed-into-my-body-by-magic, what-the-fuck-is-Niki-smoking_ aliens, too."

Jacob laughed, his usual good humor restored. He hugged her again, then set her on her feet, suddenly concerned. "Are you okay? I mean, how far along are you? And you throwing up, that was part of it, right? How long is that going to last?"

Gracie put up her hands. "Jacob, slow _down_," she said soothingly. "Niki doesn't know any more about this than you do, and I don't know much more than that. We really should as Carlisle about this."

"Well, _call_ him!" Jacob couldn't take his eyes off of his wife.

Just then, there came a knock on the front door. Gracie vanished from the kitchen, then returned a moment later with Carlisle and Esme at her side.

"Alice said you were going to need us," Carlisle informed them with a smile, "so here we are. What's going on?"

"It's Niki," Jacob said excitedly, before either of the girls could speak. "She's _pregnant_!"

Esme gasped, one hand flying to her mouth. "Oh, _Niki_!" she cried, moving to embrace the young werewolf. "That's _wonderful!_" Holding Niki out at arm's length, Esme studied her and smiled warmly. "Your complexion is blooming."

"It is?" Niki put her hands on her cheeks. "I don't feel like blooming. I feel like shit." She gave Esme a startled, guilty look. "Sorry. I mean, I feel like crap."

Esme laughed. "Tell me _everything_. How far along are you?"

"Uh..." Niki glanced at Carlisle. "I don't know. I was kind of hoping you could tell me."

Carlisle lifted one eyebrow at her. "Well, when was the last time that you and Jacob…?"

"Um..." Niki and Jacob exchanged a mortified look. "Pretty recently."

"How recently?"

The werewolves' blushes deepened. Gracie was grinning. Esme smiled knowingly. Carlisle's expression was still one of pure clinical curiosity.

"Um... a couple nights ago."

Carlisle nodded. "I see."

Esme tilted her head to one side. "That can't have been it. It takes about eighteen days for the baby's heart to start beating, and I can hear it already."

"Well, I don't know," Gracie said thoughtfully. "Werewolves mature abnormally fast. Werewolf babies might do the same thing."

"That's an interesting point." Carlisle turned to Niki. "Tell me, have you had any symptoms?"

"Umm. I threw up this morning."

"Morning sickness," Carlisle commented thoughtfully. "That generally begins around seven weeks. Go on."

"I've been really tired. I've had a bad taste in my mouth, kind of metallic-ish. Um..."

"Mood swings," Jacob put in.

Niki glared at him. "_Thanks_, dear."

He grinned. "You're welcome."

"Anything else?" Carlisle wanted to know. "Don't be embarrassed, Niki. You're in front of two women, your husband, and a hundred-year-old doctor. You don't have to feel awkward."

Niki chewed her lip. "I have to pee, like, every five minutes," she divulged. "And... um... I think that's it, so far."

Carlisle nodded. "Well, I can make a few professional recommendations. When it comes to the morning sickness, your best bet is to avoid eating too much in one sitting. Eat small amounts regularly, and don't eat anything overly sweet, salty, spicy, etcetera. Drinks lots of fluids. Get lots of rest. Exercise can help, as well. I suggest that you drink something—like water or tea—before getting up, and maybe eat a little dry toast. As for the mood swings... there's not much that can be done in that area. It's the overactive hormones, and it should wear off shortly after giving birth. You have a similar problem when it comes to urinating—your uterus is expanding and pressing against your bladder, which gives you less room to store urine in your body. That won't change until after the baby is born. You may go on to have other symptoms, such as cramps, body aches, headaches, hemorrhoids, and other things. You shouldn't lift heavy objects, bend your back too much, wear high-heels, sit or sleep with your feet up, _drink alcohol_, or take un-prescribed medicine during your pregnancy. Okay?"

Niki shook her head in amazement. "Maybe you should go over that again. I'll take notes this time."

Carlisle laughed softly. "You can call me anytime with a question. I'll almost always be available, and if I'm not, I'll contact you as soon as I am. Don't be embarrassed to ask about anything that concerns you, alright?"

"Gotcha." Niki gave him a thumbs-up.

"I'd also like you to keep me updated. I want to know how fast this pregnancy progresses, in case Gracie is correct and your baby is maturing at a rapid rate."

"Yessir." Niki grinned. "I'll certainly let you know."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

"JAKE!"

"What's up, Niki?" he yelled up the stairs.

"I JUST GAINED FIVE POUNDS!"

"_What_?!"

"YOU HEARD ME!"

Taking the stairs two at a time, Jacob joined his wife in their bathroom, where she was standing shirtless on the scale with her hands spread flat on her stomach. It was true—her previously flat stomach was now gently rounded.

Jacob laid a trembling hand atop hers on her belly. "Think we should call Carlisle?"

"I wonder," Niki said sarcastically. "He said to let him know about the rapid growth. I gain five pounds overnight. I wonder if we should tell him?"

Jacob nodded, unperturbed by her sharpness. "I'll call him."

* * *

"Well," Carlisle chuckled, "it would seem that Gracie was correct about the rapid growth."

He, Esme, Gracie, and Edward were standing in the purely decorative kitchen of the Cullen house. Carlisle had just received a phone call from the Blacks' apartment, about an hour's drive away.

Gracie, who had been sitting stock-still on a kitchen stool, leapt to her feet. "We should go visit and see if they need anything," she said at once.

Edward chuckled and laid a hand on her shoulder. "Relax, Gracie. Jacob can take care of Niki."

"I know, I know, but... well, when a girl's pregnant, she needs _feminine _company. Jacob just won't do. Please, Edward?"

He was still convinced that Jacob could easily handle whatever Niki could throw at him, but the vampire could refuse his mate nothing. He shrugged. "Let's go."

* * *

"Pizza for dinner?" Jacob called up the stairs.

"NO!"

Frozen pizza in hand, Jacob paused with a bemused frown. "No?"

"ABSOLUTELY NOT!"

Pizza had _always_ been Niki's favorite food—for as long as Jacob had known her. "Are you sure?"

"IF YOU PUT PIZZA IN THAT OVEN I'M GONNA THROW UP!"

"O-kay. Got something else in mind?"

"I WANT PEANUT BUTTER!"

Niki _hated_ peanut butter.

"A SHITLOAD OF IT!"

"Whatever you want, Niki."

The front door opened and shut, and then Gracie was beside him. "Need help?" she asked, amused.

"Niki wants peanut butter," he said, looking utterly helpless.

Gracie nodded knowledgably. "Weird cravings. Is she also going off foods that she loves?"

"She said she'd throw up if I put pizza in the oven."

Another nod. "What are you going to do?"

Jacob rubbed his temples. "Make her a peanut butter sandwich, I guess," he said wearily.

"Slather on the peanut butter. I'll go talk to her."

* * *

"Niki?" Gracie opened the door cautiously to see Niki emerging from the restroom, looking very grumpy.

"I _still _have to pee every five minutes," she informed the vampire by way of greeting.

Gracie winced sympathetically. "I'm sorry."

"I know you are." Niki sat on the bed and reclined stiffly, her baggy shirt draping around her to reveal the bulge in her belly. "_And _my boobs started hurting. I'm tired all the time, sick, cramping... and... excuse me. I have to pee again."

Gracie waited until Niki had disappeared into the bathroom again, then closed her eyes and sighed. "Oh, dear."

* * *

"I brought ultrasound equipment," explained Carlisle. "All of us here might be able to hear the baby's heartbeat, but none of us has x-ray vision, so an ultrasound is in order."

Niki crossed her arms and glared. "If you think I'm letting you put that fuckin' goop shit all over me and then poke your little metal tools into it, you got another thing coming, Doctor McSparklypants."

Jacob put his arm around her shoulders and spoke soothingly. "Don't you want to see the baby?"

She relented at once. The idea of actually being able to _see_ her baby made all of her protests melt away, and having Jacob's protective arm around her didn't hurt.

Carlisle had her lie down on the couch and smeared the KY jelly on her stomach. He attached an iron-like appliance to the portable monitor and laid it atop her midriff.

"There. You see? That's its little head."

"Is it a boy or a girl?" Niki demanded.

"It's too early to tell. You're about the equivalent of eight weeks right now, I think."

"In less than a week?"

Carlisle smiled, showing his fangs. "Rapid growth indeed."

"Holy shit."

"Mmm. This means that you should deliver in about... four more weeks."

"HOLY CHEESE SHIT!"

"You're due on... let's see... April third."

"That's Paul's birthday," Jacob commented.

"Well, he's going to be getting an interesting gift this year," chuckled Edward.

"HOLY MARY MOTHER OF GOD! SHIT!"

"Niki, enough," Gracie reprimanded her. "You've only got four weeks to acquaint yourself with the idea of being a mother. We'd better get started. Jacob, you need to help her set up the nursery. It's an important couple bonding experience."

Jacob gave her a look. "Gracie... I _imprinted_ on her. It doesn't get any more bonded than that."

"You need the experience," she insisted primly. "It will help Niki slide into her niche as a mother and help _you_ get used to the role of a father. This is going to be your job, too, you know."

"I know that," he said defensively. "I'm not planning on being a deadbeat like fuckin' Dane."

"Most fathers don't _plan_ on being fathers at all, much less deadbeat," Gracie reminded him.

"SOMEBODY GET ME A SHITLOAD OF PEANUT BUTTER **RIGHT NOW**!"

"I got it, Niki," sighed Jacob, and off he went.

Gracie helped Niki off the ultrasound table and fetched a rag to wipe away the jelly. "Come on. We have to pick up all of the things for the nursery."

"Are you fuckin' crazy?! I'm not going out in public like _this_!" Niki waved vaguely at herself, implying the unacceptability of her condition.

"Come on. It'll be fun. Besides, you can't hide out here forever."

"I won't, I _won't_, I WON'T." Niki punctuated her last "won't" with a stamp of her foot. "I'm _not_ going shopping all pregnant like this. I won't."

"We'll be there with you, Niki," Edward said soothingly. "What could happen?"

"WON'T!"

Jacob appeared with a plateful of apple slices slathered in peanut butter. He bent down to nuzzle Niki's cheek briefly. "I'll go with you," he murmured persuasively. "We can go out for ice cream afterward. We'll even take Quil, if you want."

Niki brightened. "Jake, you're a genius! Call him right now!"

Tossing the vampires a smug look, Jacob swept from the room. Edward glanced at Gracie, who shrugged.

"I might be her best friend," she informed him, "but _he's_ her husband."

"What if Jacob can't get Quil to come?" Esme asked her husband quietly, anxious.

Carlisle laid a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Jacob is, by blood, the Alpha," he reminded her, "and he _will _use that to his advantage if he thinks it will help Niki—even in something this... insignificant."

"Setting up the nursery is _not_ insignificant," Gracie informed him sharply, poking him in the chest with one manicured nail. "Do _not_ suggest such a thing again."

Jacob came back into the room. "He'll meet us here in five minutes."

Niki clapped her hands and glowed.

Less than five minutes later, a knock sounded through the house. Niki flung the door open at once and squealed, "QUIL YOU'RE HERE OHMYGOD I AM SO HAPPY TO SEE YOU!!!!" She flung her arms around him.

He laughed. "Has it really been that long?"

"Like _three months_, geez! Even since we moved into our own place. It's been too long!"

"I missed you too, Niki," he said warmly, hugging her back.

She tugged at his arm. "We're going shopping for my nursery. You have to help me pick stuff out."

"Nursery? Uh, I don't exactly know much about—" he began warily.

"Aww, come _on_," she whined. "Gracie will help us. Come on, come on, come _on_!"

"Okay, okay, okay! Let's go."

* * *

"Yellow's a neutral color," commented Quil, pointing out the daffodil-colored paint cans that they were passing.

Niki barely spared them a glance. "I hate yellow walls. They look like somebody pissed on them. I want _blue_."

"It might be a girl," Jacob reminded her.

"So? A girl's not gonna care if she spent her childhood years in a blue room. 'Oh, I'm scarred forever, life is so hard, my walls are blue!' Give me a break. Geez. She's gonna be interested in learning to talk and crawl and function in this Godforsaken world. She is _not_ going to care what color the nursery walls are. _I_ am. That's the one," she added, pointing to a nondescript paint bucket. "That's the one I want."

Jacob glanced at the top of the can, which sampled the paint color. It looked like every single other shade of blue, to him. "Are you sure?"

Gracie scanned the container. "Copenhagen," she said approvingly. "Good choice."

"Copa-_what_ now?" Jacob asked, confused.

"It's a lovely shade of dark blue," explained Gracie.

Jacob and Quil exchanged looks, then shrugged. To them, blue was blue.

"That's it. That's the one I want. Jake, buy that one. Me and Gracie are going to look at cribs." Niki was already heading off to a different aisle. Gracie followed without protest.

Jacob whirled to face the others. "How the hell am I supposed to know how much of this to buy?" he demanded with a pained look.

Edward chuckled and moved forward. "Allow me."

* * *

"I like that one."

"It may be too small," warned Gracie.

"I don't care. We'll fix it. We'll make it bigger. I want _that_ one."

The crib she wanted was four-foot square and made of pure mahogany. It came complete with a mattress and fitted sheets of pale blue.

Gracie tilted her head to one side and scrutinized the crib again. "I like it," she decided finally.

"Good. Me too. Let's get it. In the meantime, do you know where the bathroom is? I have to pee again."

* * *

"I want to help," protested Niki. "It's _my_ baby's nursery and _I_ want to help put it together!"

"It's my baby's nursery, too, and I am absolutely doing _all_ high-reaching, heavy-lifting, and spending time around paint fumes," Jacob told her sternly. "You will do _nothing_ to jeopardize your health _or_ the baby's. Understand?" Niki was about to argue, but Jacob cut her off. "Absolutely not, Niki. I'm putting my foot down. It's my job to protect you and the baby, and that means more than just keeping you from being eaten by monsters. It means protecting your health, as well, and that's exactly what I'm going to do!"

Niki opened her mouth to complain, thought better of it, and closed her mouth again. "Fine," she conceded, "but I want to be in there to tell you where everything goes."

"Of course." He kissed her softly. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

* * *

The nursery was to be on the ground floor, due to Niki's morbid fear of the baby falling down stairs. It was a mere few yards' walk from the doorway of the new master bedroom (moved to the ground floor at Niki's insistence, in order to be closer to the baby in case of nighttime awakenings) to the doorway of the nursery.

"Put the crib against that back wall," instructed Niki, pointing. "No—never mind. Put it against that wall over there—not that one, the other one—yes. That way the light from the window won't wake the baby up in the morning." The indicated window was on the right side of the back wall, opposite the left wall where Jacob and Quil were now placing the crib. "That's it. Leave it right there. Now, the dresser should be on the other end... no... scratch that, I want the dresser right over here... no, wait, never mind..."

Jacob and Quil shared a groan. Gracie chortled.

"Gracie, take over," Niki proclaimed. "I have to pee like... well, like a pregnant lady."

Gracie moved forward from her post at the door and took charge. "Put the dresser lengthwise against the wall at the end of the crib. We'll put a lamp on top. The changing table can go against the right wall. We need a pull-down shade for that window—dark blue, I think, to go with the walls and block out light. Edward, will you get the pieces of the rocking chair and bring them in here, please? I'm going to ask you to help Jacob put that together, and then I want it in the corner under the window. Quil, where's the mobile we bought? Bring it in here, please. I'll help you hang it over the crib."

When Niki returned, progress was well underway. Jacob and Edward were bickering in the corner about the proper way to put a rocking chair together. Seven-foot-tall Quil had his hands on either side of Gracie's slender waist; he had lifted her so that she could nail the mobile into place. Everything was neat and the deep blue walls were lit with the rosy light of the setting sun.

"Oops, looks like the clouds cleared up for once," commented Niki.

Everyone looked up just in time for a shaft of light to penetrate the room, sending prisms of diamond glitter all across the walls. Gracie and Edward glanced at one another and neither could resist a smile.

"You're so beautiful," Edward murmured.

"So are you," she whispered back.

"Oh, ew," Niki interrupted rudely, striding into the room and standing between the two with her hands on her hips, looking from one to the other. "Get a room. Come to think of it, get a _house_. Don't you guys still, like, live with your parents?"

Gracie laughed, and Edward rolled his eyes with a good-natured smile. Jacob slid the last piece of wood into its proper slot and then rose, dusting himself off. "Done," he announced with a self-satisfied air.

"Oh, good. My feet hurt." Niki hobbled to the chair with an exaggerated limp and collapsed into it, grinning up at her dark-skinned husband. "I sure could use a good foot rub right now..."

Gracie laughed again. "Time to leave the lovebirds to their nest. Out. Out." She made shooing motions with her hands, ushering the others out of the room, then glanced back at the two werewolves. "I made a list of everything else we'll need. I'll buy it all today and be back tomorrow. Enjoy the time you have together—it won't be so easy when there's a baby in the house."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

When Jacob woke late the next afternoon, he found Niki awake and staring at him. "What's—" he began to ask, but her hand covered his mouth before he could get the rest of the question out.

"Don't talk," she whispered. "Migraine."

He nodded in understanding, then mouthed, "Do you want something to eat?"

"No," she mouthed back. "I feel sick. I have to pee but I don't want to move."

"I'll help you."

"No, I can do it. But get me a bucket. I might not make it to the bathroom before I throw up." They both began to rise, and Niki winced at the creaking of the bed. "Fuck," she hissed softly.

When Jacob returned with a sick-pot for Niki, he found his wife curled up on the floor beside the bed. "I was too tired to climb back up," she whispered, her words somewhat slurred.

Jacob put the pot down on the bed and then lifted the dark-haired girl tenderly in his arms. He laid her atop the covers and then pulled them up over her. "Need anything else?" he asked quietly.

"Aspirin. Now. And peanut butter. In fact, what the hell? Put the peanut butter on the Aspirin."

"Okay." He kissed her temple and brushed a strand of hair out of her face. "I love you."

She closed her eyes and a tear slipped out. "I love you, too, Jake. I know I've been a bitch lately. I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about it," he said soothingly, wiping away the tear with his thumb. Then he disappeared through the door.

When he returned, he was bearing more than the Aspirin and peanut butter that she had asked for. He was also carrying what appeared to be a folded-up inflatable mattress.

After inflating the mattress, he laid it on the floor across the doorway of the bathroom. Then he pulled the bedding from the bed and set it up on the mattress, moving the pot, the Aspirin, and the peanut butter to a position beside the mattress on the floor. Then he strode over and lifted his small wife into his arms, turning and laying her on the bed.

"Go back to sleep, baby," he said quietly, then laid down beside her and pulled the covers over them both.

* * *

"Oh my God. Oh my God! Jake! Jacob!"

Jacob was awake at once. "Whazzit?" he demanded groggily, rubbing his eyes and sitting up. "Niki? What's wrong?"

"The baby. I can feel it moving!" She groped in the darkness for his hand and moved it to rest atop her belly. "Feel it?"

At first, he felt nothing. Then—a small movement.

"I feel it," he gasped.

"It's a girl, Jake. I know it's a girl. Girls kick different than boys. They _move_ different. It's a girl, I know it is."

"Let's get Carlisle over here to look."

"Jacob, it's the middle of the night!"

"..."

"Oh. Right. Okay, call him. I have to pee."

* * *

"It's a girl," announced Carlisle

"I knew it!" Niki squealed. It was the most energy she had shown in hours, having been wan and sickly since yesterday morning. Even now, lying on the couch with KY jelly slathered on her bulging stomach, she was pale and sweating.

"The pregnancy is advancing even faster than we had anticipated. You're at the equivalent of eighteen weeks now, Niki, and your body isn't ready for it. That's why you've been so sick lately. More than likely you will be bedridden for a few weeks before and after the birth."

It was a sign of how tired Niki was that she didn't protest. She didn't seem to mind the prospect of being bedridden. In fact, right now, she rather relished it. "Can I go to sleep _now_?" she wanted to know.

"You may. I've done all I can do for now. If anything gets worse, let me know right away."

* * *

"Jacob," Niki whispered through dry, cracked lips, "I'm cramping again. Where's the Ibuprofen?"

"It's right here." He popped the lid off and handed her a couple of pills. "Does your back hurt?"

"It hurts like hell. How'd you know?"

"You keep rubbing it. Want me to rub it for you?"

"Yeah." She turned on her side in the bed and closed her eyes, feeling Jacob's gentle hands on her shoulder blades. "Thanks, Jake. I don't deserve you."

"No problem, Niki. I love you."

"I know."

* * *

"Shit. JACOB!"

"Yeah, Niki?" he yelled up the stairs, trying to balance a frying pan full of eggs and two jars of peanut butter.

"MY LEGS ARE FALLING OFF!"

"WHAT?!" _Thunk. Thunk. Crash._ There went the eggs and peanut butter.

"GET YOUR ASS UP HERE!"

He dashed up the stairs to their bedroom, finding her propped up on her elbows and staring at him with wide eyes.

"I have to get up and move around," she said by way of explanation. "I swear to God. My legs feel like Jello and they're gonna fall off if I don't get up and walk."

He helped her up, supporting her swollen frame. "What the hell, Niki?"

"I don't fucking know. But I seriously do think my circulation was screwed or some shit like that. God! That's so much better." She took a few steps and leaned heavily against Jacob. "Okay. Now I'm tired again."

"That's enough for one morning," he said dryly. "Now I'm putting you back in bed and going to make some more eggs."

* * *

"HOLY FUCKING GOD! JACOB!"

Jacob dropped the plate he was washing, barely noticing when it shattered on the floor, and sprinted to the bedroom upstairs. "What is it?" he shouted, slamming into the room.

Niki was once again propping herself up on her elbows so that she was almost sitting, but not quite. "I felt a... there was... I don't fucking know. It was like a contraction, but it didn't hurt. It was just like... my muscles were... I... JUST FUCKING CALL CARLILSE!"

* * *

"Braxton Hicks contractions. Painless contractions that serve as a sort of _practice_ for birth."

"How long will they last?" Niki asked, white as snow.

"There's no telling, considering how quickly you've developed. Week thirty-two is the normal time to be having Braxton Hicks contractions, and you've only been pregnant for three weeks." Carlisle studied her gravely. "Niki, you may very well give birth within the next few hours."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

"**OH MY GOD! OH MY FUCKING GOD!**"

"Just breathe, Niki... it's almost over..." Jacob was almost in tears, but he somehow found the strength to try and soothe his young wife.

"GO TO HELL, JACOB!" she screamed. "DON'T TELL ME TO BREATHE! I AM BREATHING! THERE'S A HUMAN BEING RIPPING THROUGH MY UTERUS, BUT I'M BREATHING! DON'T YOU TELL ME TO FUCKING BREATHE!"

Edward put his arm around Jacob's shoulders. "She's in a lot of pain," he reminded the werewolf. "She doesn't mean that."

"I know. I know." Jacob squeezed Niki's hand and bit his lip so hard that it bled.

She screamed again.

"Oh, here it comes!" Gracie was acting in the place of midwife, since she and Carlisle were the only two with a proper resistance to the smell of blood. She crouched by the end of the bed, where they were birthing Niki's first child, and helped to slide the child out. "Oh, Niki, she's _gorgeous_!"

"FUCKIN' HELL!"

At the baby's first cry, everyone fell silent.

"Niki." Gracie's face was glowing. "Look at your daughter."

Niki pushed herself up on her elbows to get a better view at the small, bloody bundle that Gracie was offering to her. "Oh my God," she whispered.

A solid _thump_ was heard as Jacob fainted to the floor. Edward covered his mouth with one hand, trying not to laugh.

* * *

When Jacob came to, he was lying on the couch in his living room. Seth was lounging in a chair beside him.

"Good, you're awake," the newest pack member said with a grin. "I wanted to hang out with the baby, but they told me to come down here and wait until you woke up."

"How's Niki?" Jacob demanded at once. "And the baby? How's the baby? Are they both...?"

"Chill out, _Dad_. They're fine. Go upstairs and see 'em, why don't you?"

He did just that. When he entered the bedroom and looked around at the crowd of new arrivals gathered there, he realized with some indignation that he was going to be the last to be introduced to his baby.

Paul whirled on him as he entered. "YOU DIDN'T EVEN FUCKING TELL ME THAT TINKERBELLE WAS PREGNANT!" he roared. "WHY DOESN'T ANYONE TELL ME THESE THINGS?!?!"

"Shut up, Paul." Jacob breezed past him, slipping between Rosalie and Sam to get to the bed. He stopped to get a good look at the scene before him.

On one side of the bed, Gracie leaned into Edward's arms, positively glowing. On the other side, Quil stood straight and proud, beaming at everyone around. Between them, propped up by pillows, was Niki—weary but happy—cradling the new baby.

Jacob moved slowly to Quil's side, bending over Niki to study his daughter. She was tiny and delicate, serene in sleep; her full head of dark hair and her creamy brown skin could have belonged to either of her parents, but her pixielike features were Niki's.

"She's beautiful," he said softly. He kissed the top of Niki's head. "And so are you."

Niki was all business. "What are we going to name her?"

"Did you have anything in mind?" Gracie asked them both.

Niki and Jacob exchanged a look. "No," they said simultaneously.

She chuckled. "Well, I suggest you think something up. Quickly."

"Can we name her 'Get Everyone the Hell Out of My Room So I Can Sleep'?" Niki wanted to know.

Jacob laughed a little. "I'll kick everyone out once we've announced our name."

"How about Emily?" Gracie suggested. "You know, for your Wolf-Girl friend?"

"What if we named her Emily Grace?" Niki said thoughtfully.

There was a pause as everyone considered that suggestion. "I like it," Jacob proclaimed. He turned to make the announcement, but Niki stopped him.

"Wait. There's something else I've been thinking about." She turned to Gracie and Edward, took a deep breath, and spoke. "Gracie, you've been my best friend ever since we met. Edward, you've never treated me with anything other than kindness and respect. I hope that you will both do the same toward my daughter, and now I'd like to ask... will you be her godparents?"

"Oh!" Gracie's hand flew up to cover her mouth. She stared, wide-eyed, at Niki, then turned to Jacob. "Are you alright with this?" she asked cautiously.

He nodded at once. "Whatever our past differences," he said quietly, "I know that you'll take care of my daughter."

Edward wrapped one arm around Gracie's shoulders. "We will indeed," he said gravely. "We are honored to accept, Niki."

Niki glowed.

"_Now_ we'll get everyone the hell out of your room so you can sleep," Jacob chuckled.


End file.
